Article: Bad Bench Press Mistakes

Some good tips here!
 
If you HAVE to touch your chest that can actually cause shoulder injuries, especially in long armed people. a full rep can vary some based on the mechanics of your body...
 
v4lu3s said:
If you HAVE to touch your chest that can actually cause shoulder injuries, especially in long armed people. a full rep can vary some based on the mechanics of your body...
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Adjust grip accordingly.
 
Not what the sports medicine doc told me when i was rehabbing my acromioclavicular ligament after it was damaged. He flat our told me if i keep touching my chest i will end up needing surgery sooner rather than later, going that deep was putting enough strain on the ligament it was pulling the bones apart enough that the bones were also damaged leading to arthritis. Said if my shoulder structure was different or if i had shorter arms it would not be an issue
 
great simple tips
 
Started working out with a few power lifters. Always touched my chest or got yelled at, and always had shoulder problems. Unless you arch your back and shove a phone book under there, most people probably won't do anything but hurt their shoulders by going all the way down.
 
v4lu3s said:
Not what the sports medicine doc told me when i was rehabbing my acromioclavicular ligament after it was damaged. He flat our told me if i keep touching my chest i will end up needing surgery sooner rather than later, going that deep was putting enough strain on the ligament it was pulling the bones apart enough that the bones were also damaged leading to arthritis. Said if my shoulder structure was different or if i had shorter arms it would not be an issue
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As much as I agree that touching your chest with the bar does use your chest to it's full potential, I have to agree that for some of us it can cause shoulder issues. I'm 72" tall with a 76.5" wingspan, I use proper alignment when benching, with my elbows directly under my wrist and my shoulders "down" where they should be. Coming down to a 90 degree arm angle leaves the bar a good 7" above my chest yet, coming to my chest puts my elbows all the way below the bench and strains my shoulder(s). This has led me to be in physical therapy for my shoulder at this moment in fact.

Like I said, I still agree that going to your chest gives the best chest workout, no argument there. But for some of us long armed guys it's not quite feasible without the risk of shoulder injuries. Just my personal opinion.
 
Sigurd8404 said:
Like I said, I still agree that going to your chest gives the best chest workout, no argument there. But for some of us long armed guys it's not quite feasible without the risk of shoulder injuries. Just my personal opinion.
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do you squeeze your shoulder blades together? you mentioned you have your shoulders down, which is good, but in addition squeezing your shoulder blades helps take tension off your shoulders.
 
I much like the author am a supporter of touching your chest. I weigh 160, and bench 360. From around sR year in high school through my 3rd year of college I only went down to 90 degrees and always said it was 'for my shoulders'. About two years ago i started training for a power lifting meet and changed my training style up to touching my chest. In the transition, I started pausing every other rep on my chest. During the transition to getting my true bench press up, lifters would ask me how much i benched. I always replied with x-ammt to 90 degrees and x-ammount all the way down. Anyways... my advice to the cats with shoulder issues is in the article... squeeze your shoulder blades together during the entire rep. I squeeze mine together before i even take the bar off the rack.
 
I have watched a lot if Dave Tate videos....arched back with upper back and butt being the contract points to bench, shoulder blades pinched together, feet solid on the ground pushing through heels, wrists directly over elbows with bar over wrist, hands slightly wider than shoulders, and bar lowered to just below nipples....it is even painful to bring an empty bar to my chest. The damage is done. If i go lower than about 2" off my chest my shoulder hurts for days.

I trust my sports medicine doctor over one size fits all bench press advice. Body mechanics makes a big difference....
 
You guys are all right. Bottoming out works for some and not for others. The article is just general tips and not to be interpreted as the bench press bible. Everyone is different
 
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